SOUTH AMERICA
CHILE - SANTIAGO
Hello Everyone! You may have noticed I disappeared for a while 'cause The BIG PEOPLE dragged me all around South America for six months. As you can see in my first photo, I was looking very worried, as I knew I would get very grubby and possibly kidnapped, or even given to some poor kid who needed a friend. However, I can safely report that I am now back home safe (and clean again...) and I had lots of adventures which I will begin to tell you. Here I am in Santiago, in Chile. If you look closely, you can see snow on the Andes behind me.
One day we were walking along the street and came across the gay rally for Marriage Equality. Everyone was dressed up and waving rainbow flags. I met lots of people and this is my friend Juanita, who only speaks Spanish, so I had no idea what she was saying, but she kept giving me cuddles and calling me 'linda' which is the same name as my Auntie back in Sydney. I since discovered it means 'beautiful'.
When we were in Santiago, we visited the Human Rights Museum. There were lots of photos of good looking young people displayed in the courtyard. I thought they were all called Donde Esta, but DAD told me it means 'where is she/he?' - in Spanish. It turns out that many years ago, there was a dictator called Pinochet and if you said things that he did not agree with, you would be carted off and never be seen or heard of again. Boy, I kept my mouth shut for the rest of the day, in case any of his relatives were still around.
CHILE - VALPARAISO
After Santiago, we caught a bus to Valparaiso, which is slap bang in the middle of an earthquake zone. There were arrows painted on the roads showing you where to run in case of a tsunami. We stayed in this place called the Yellow House, perched high up on a cliff. Here is a picture of me looking from our bedroom window to see if there were any tsunamis coming.
CHILE - SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA
Here I am looking at the salt lake near San Pedro de Atacama, which is one of the highest deserts in the world. Everyone thought I had altitude sickness 'cause my nose was red and I had to tell them it was not bloody, it is just the way it is. If you look closely, you can see the Andes in the background.
A lovely Indigenous lady gave me a packet of coca sweets to help me get over the altitude sickness that I didn't have. I ate the whole packet and started to have hallucinations. I thought I was an Inca God and was flying over the Colca Valley with condors. I suggest you only have one or two sweets at the most, if you ever get to try them.
CHILE - IQUIQUE
After that experience in the desert, we headed back along the coast to Iquique. We went on a lovely boat ride around the harbour. We found these seals lying on the jetty. They were just waiting for someone to give them a cuddle. They were so friendly, but they were very smelly.
BOLIVIA - LA PAZ
Here's a picture of MUM heading off to the witches' market in La Paz, with Juanita's MUM, who lent her a lovely skirt to wear. MUM is the one on the right.
Juanita's MUM told my MUM that if she bought some dried up llama foetuses and took them home and hung them up above our front door, we would have lots of luck. When we tried to get them through customs in Sydney, there was a bit of a problem. MUM hadn't declared them as she couldn't find them listed on the immigration form. It cost the BIG PEOPLE a lot of money to get out of that mess. We had to get a bus back home 'cause there was no money left for a taxi.
PERU - SAN PEDRO DE IQUITO
This poor bear was sitting on a dashboard in San Pedro de Iquito. He had been squashed when the driver had to brake suddenly. I felt really sorry for him as he was like a cockroach - once they fall on their backs they can't get up. I tried to be nice to him, but he didn't speak English and my Spanish is not good.
PERU - SULISTANI
These llamas (or maybe they are vicuñas) were so cute. I wanted to pinch some of their fur to fix up my bald ears, but MUM said I had to leave them alone.
PERU - TAQUILE
I met these two girls on the island of Taquile. They were selling coloured woven bracelets and were both very sweet. They put a necklace around my neck and then made MUM buy it! They fell in love with me and begged the BIG PEOPLE to leave me behind. I wasn't having a bar of that, as you can imagine. As you can see in this next photo, they got pretty upset saying goodbye and even tried to swap all their bracelets for me. MUM wasn't having a bar of that either!
PERU - UROS ISLANDS
We spent the day on the floating islands. They were amazing. I thought I was on a giant leaking water bed as my paws got very damp when I tried to walk around. I don't know how they stayed afloat as there were lots of people living on them, but they all made colourful boats like this one pictured, just in case the islands started to sink and they had to leave in a hurry.
PERU - THE ANDEAN EXPLORER
Here I am on the Andean Explorer, choo-chooing along from Puno to Cuzco. I had just had a pot of honey and a sip of wine, so I was feeling pretty relaxed. If you look closely, you can see bits of ice floating in the river behind.
PERU - CUZCO
Imagine my surprise when we saw Mick Jagger sight-seeing in Cuzco. I thought he was a moving ruin, but then MUM told me he is a famous rock star. I tried to get his autograph, but he looked at me as if I had two heads and just waved and walked away.
PERU - MACHU PICCHU
I am suffering from vertigo in this photo taken at Machu Picchu. It was very high up and I sicked up in MUM's bag on the bus going up the mountain. The road was winding around sharp bends and I got scared. I was only four years old then.
PERU - SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS
Here I am in a museum in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The Incas behind are only stuffed models. They wore really nice clothes trimmed in gold. Why can't I be dressed nicely? After all, I am only stuffed as well.
Here I am again in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It was hot and dusty and I was very tired. I looked everywhere for skulls and bones and chipped pottery, but I think it is all in the museum.
ECUADOR - GUAYAQUIL
In this photo I was on a long bus journey to Guayaquil. As you can see I was very comfortable in the seat pocket and was able to watch the scenery whizzing past. I was sitting in my muslin bag which I wear when I go travelling. It keeps me from getting too dirty and I snuggled up in it - like a sleeping bag.
I just loved long bus rides in South America as they showed movies and it stopped me from getting bored and kept me awake, so I could make sure the drivers were not falling asleep. On this trip, they showed a long Bollywood movie with my favourite star, King Khan. He looked pretty tired as it was just after midnight and I think he was ready for bed.
ECUADOR - GUAYAQUIL
I have never seen so many cakes before. It seems to me that South Americans LOVE cake. In some countries they even have it for breakfast. MUM thought she had died and gone to heaven every morning as she would gobble up the fruit platter and then get in to some serious eating.
When we were buying tickets to go to the Galapagos islands, this young man was in front of us in the queue. I couldn't stop laughing 'cause maybe he couldn't spell and he meant to write MUM!
ECUADOR - THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
I was so tired in this photo. I had been up for hours on the bus. I had watched five movies - some were in Spanish - and to be honest, I was feeling a bit over excited as we were now on a boat sailing around the Galapagos and the BIG PEOPLE were on the upper deck partying with the other guests.
The next day we walked over lava fields on one of the many islands. This iguana was just sitting in the sun relaxing. It made me think of that saying, 'flat out like a lizard drinking'. He was really big and not very friendly.
The Galapagos Islands are very beautiful. At dusk I would sit up on the deck of the Monserrat and look for exotic birds flying off home. There were also dolphins and crazy looking fish in the water. My eyes were working overtime as I did not want to miss anything.
ECUADOR - QUITO
After the Galapagos, we flew to Quito - the capital of Ecuador. We stayed there for a few days just enjoying the sights and eating at this cafe at lunchtime. It was very aptly named as they made the biggest sandwiches and the BIG PEOPLE would sit on their stools for hours watching the locals stuffing themselves.
It was a very special time for me 'cause I turned five on August 15th, 2012. MUM and DAD dragged me around to a few churches and finally we ended up at the San Francisco Church Museum's Square. There were these parrots sitting on their perch and when they saw me, they started cackling very loudly. It was very embarrassing and they would not shut up. Everyone started to stare and when they realised what was happening, they started to laugh too...
The BIG PEOPLE took me for a special dinner at this cafe which was called GOD isn't Dead... I got really confused 'cause after going to heaps of churches, I thought that people were praying 'cause he was dead.
Anyway, I was still alive, so I just sat on the corner of the table and waited for my pot of honey to arrive. The cafe was so cute and there were hearts going up the wall. MUM said they were put there especially for me. She sure does spin 'em sometimes... I felt very special though, as the owner gave me an extra scoop of honey, which I gobbled up as if I was a customer at Hogarama's.
ECUADOR - QUITO TO LAGO AGRIO
I stuck my head up against the window of the aeroplane and took this photo as we roared over the Andes towards the jungle. The pilot was really crazy and he played 'Dark Side of the Moon' really loudly as we took off. One of the passengers complained. I was really upset 'cause I figured that if we had smashed into the mountains, we would have died happy, as all the passengers were singing at the top of their voices and having a great time. Why are German tourists so cranky?
ECUADOR - CUYABENO
We then had to catch a canoe for a two hour ride into the jungle to find the Siona Lodge. On the way, we saw monkeys swinging in the trees, pink dolphins and lots of exotic birds. Then our guide got all excited and steered us towards this bush to look at an anaconda. I was nervous as a cat 'cause it might have woken up and devoured me. It was only a baby, but as you can see in this bigger picture, it was big enough and all curled up around the branch, so this was only part of it.
That night we went for a jungle walk. We came across all sorts of creepy crawlies including this spider. It was almost as big as the guide's arm and he kept playing with it. I was hoping it would bite him and then all hell would have broken loose and we could go home. I was a bit scared of everything as it was dark and creepy and MUM was pretending she was having a good time, but she kept looking like that Munch painting (the silent scream), every time she saw something weird.
We had a really nice cabin at the lodge. I had my very own bed covered with a mosquito net, which made it look like a frilly Dalek. I figured that if any aliens appeared in the jungle, they would have left me alone in my bed 'cause they would have thought I was one of them.
We went to visit the local Siona community to attend a ceremony conducted by a shaman. He kept waving branches all over me and then gave me a jar full of a murky liquid called Ayahuasca. I flew with the condors for a few hours after I drank it. The funny thing is, I didn't leave the cabin. I think it may have all been happening in my head, but I did feel it was one of the best flights I had been on. Even better than the one over the Andes.
After flying with the condors, I started experimenting with voodoo magic. I got into a bit of trouble from MUM 'cause she found me mixing up some of her hair and an old fingernail in my honey pot. I never got to finish my spell 'cause I got a clip around the ears and sent to bed. I think I look a bit like Keith Richards. What do you think?
COLOMBIA - ZIPAQUIRA
About twenty kilometres from Bogota is an amazing place called the Salt Cathedral. It is 180 metres underground. It contains the 14 Stations of the Cross, each sculpted by a different artist. It is really spooky and very unusual. I hung out in the cathedral cafe for a while watching the tourists who were buying souvenirs made of salt. I wanted MUM to buy me a salt teddy, but she was feeling a bit claustrophobic, so she wasn't feeling very generous.
COLOMBIA - DOWNTOWN BOGOTA
Many people in Bogota look like MUM. They are dark and rather big. Even the underwear displays are size large. However, Colombians are such fun and don't care about a few extra kilos, or even try to cover up their mounds. As you can see in the next photo, they even wear bright colours so you can see them coming and can get out of their way in a hurry.
COLOMBIA - CENTRO HISTORICO - MEDELLIN
I thought this was a sculpture of MUM. However I found out it was done by an artist called Botero. Maybe it was modelled on his MUM? The whole park was full of his sculptures and they were all huge.
Inside the gallery there were heaps of Botero's paintings and they were of huge people the same size as his sculptures outside. This painting is of Pablo Escobar who was a famous drug baron. He was also very big as you can see. He got tired running away from the police and they shot him dead while he was taking a nap on the roof of his house.
Botero even painted huge animals, as you can see in this picture. I am looking very inquisitive as to why he did this. I found out at the end of the exhibition, when I saw this quote by Botero. MUM now believes that being big ain't so bad after all...
MEDELLIN - EL POBLADO
After hours spent looking at Botero statues and paintings, the BIG PEOPLE needed a drink or two. They decided to go to the Hard Rock Cafe in El Poblado, near our hotel. I sat up on the sign all afternoon looking out for Mick Jagger, as I thought he may be visiting Colombia on his way home from Peru and I could try and get his autograph again.
COLOMBIA - CARTAGENA
After visiting Medellin, we flew to Cartagena. It is the most beautiful city, full of colonial architecture and lots of bright colours. I loved all the pretty ladies selling fruit from the baskets they carried on their heads. They thought I was so cute and they gave me free bananas. I couldn't eat them and MUM doesn't like them, so we used to give them away to kids who were not as fat as their relatives down south.
COLOMBIA - MAICAO TO MARACAIBO
The BIG PEOPLE decided to cross the border from Colombia by road into Venezuela. I have never been so scared 'cause we were warned that there were bandidos on the road who were looking to rob and kidnap tourists. When the representative of the bus company met us in the town of Maicao (which closed at 3pm and no-one went out after 4pm 'cause it was too dangerous), she took us around the corner to this... our transport across the border.
Here's a picture of me sitting in the Dodge behind two other passengers who kept a look-out for bandidos. I had snuck one of MUM's valium out of her bag and just sat back thinking about the wonderful life I had and how it could end at any moment. As it turned out there were no problems, which goes to prove that you should never believe everything you hear. It was an exciting trip, especially when the customs officers had to pry open the boot with a screwdriver as they were looking for contraband. I was scared they would find my coca sweets and confiscate them and send me into withdrawals.
VENEZUELA
We drove really fast to Caracas and along the way there were lots of posters for the election which was about to happen. If I was Venezuelan, I would vote for President Chavez - even though he is not perfect - 'cause he wants to help everyone have a decent life. He did get re-elected, but he is not very well at the moment. I don't know why his picture was behind chicken-wire. Maybe it was to stop someone from stealing his baguettes.
I am writing this on Wednesday 6th March, 2013 having just heard that Hugo has died. We are all crying in the cupboard 'cause even though we never met him, we bears had heard all about his hope for the future and now... RESPECT!
VENEZUELA
We drove really fast to Caracas and along the way there were lots of posters for the election which was about to happen. If I was Venezuelan, I would vote for President Chavez - even though he is not perfect - 'cause he wants to help everyone have a decent life. He did get re-elected, but he is not very well at the moment. I don't know why his picture was behind chicken-wire. Maybe it was to stop someone from stealing his baguettes.
I am writing this on Wednesday 6th March, 2013 having just heard that Hugo has died. We are all crying in the cupboard 'cause even though we never met him, we bears had heard all about his hope for the future and now... RESPECT!
VENEZUELA - PUERTO LA CRUZ
Here is a picture of me on the day we went island hopping off Puerto La Cruz. It was so beautiful and I made friends with a lizard on the beach who shared my deckchair and my rum cocktails, as we watched all the beautiful people in their thongs.
I always thought thongs were things you wore on your feet. However, on Playa Blanca, signoritas stretched them over their bottoms. Most of the time they were a bit small 'cause ladies usually have dainty feet. I didn't mind though and to be honest, no-one else complained either.
VENEZUELA - ISLA MARGARITA
This was the prettiest posada we stayed in. Everything was pink and covered in flowers. The signora who owned the place was called Lutecia and she was from Paris. I felt a bit sorry for her 'cause every night she would smoke a packet of cigarettes, drink a bottle of whisky and talk about her younger days. I guess I have that to look forward to, but not for a while 'cause I am still only five...
GRENADA - THE WEST INDIES
This is a picture of the aeroplane that was held up on the tarmac in Grenada. MUM and DAD got into big trouble 'cause they arrived without onward plane tickets. The grumpy immigration officer told them they had to get back on the plane... Fortunately they talked their way out of the mess with help from a man from the airline and were allowed to stay. I kept really quiet in the bottom of MUM's bag 'cause I did not want to be deported on my own and end up living as a street kid on the mainland.
GRENADA - ST GEORGES
Here is a picture of me at St Georges' harbour. I had been walking around looking at all the boats and trying to decide which one I was going to stow away on. The thought of cruising around the Caribbean was very serious at this moment, as you can see from the expression on my face.
This sign was at the bus station in St Georges. I couldn't understand why you couldn't swear when you were sitting down and yet it was okay when you were standing up! I was going to sit there and say something rude and see what happened, but MUM put a stop to that idea when she clipped me around the ears. I nearly swore then, but thought better of it.
Every time we went into St Georges we caught the mini van down the hill from St Davids. It was always driven by Rasta guys who played loud reggae music and drove like they had a minute left to live. I used to hang on tight and sing along and try not to stare at the Grenadians who were really good looking. I especially liked this lady's hair 'cause it looked like she had big worms on her head.
I was sure that Snoop Dog, the Rap artist, was on the bus this day. He was singing at the top of his voice and he was really cool! I could only take a photo of him from behind as I did not want to be rude. He is sitting behind Auntie Helen and she reckoned it was him too!
DRAGON'S BAY
One day we went sailing to an underwater sculpture park, near Dragon's Bay. It was one of the best days I have ever had. The sky was sparkling, the sea was sparkling and I was enjoying the sparkling rum cocktails. As you can see in this photo, the company was pretty sparkling too!
GRENADA - ST GEORGES
In fact, the name of this boat described the whole experience in Grenada. Everything was magic and so amazing. I was very sad to leave.
GRENADA - ST DAVID'S
We stayed at the Leaping Lizard Lodge in St David's with Auntie Helen and Unkee Rick. They have the most beautiful house and there were lots of lizards leaping about.
I made friends with Bob who was a great big dog who was so laid back. Here is a picture of his paws. As you can see, he wasn't in any hurry to go anywhere. In Grenada, everyone just says, 'take your time, take your time...'
GRENADA - SAUTEURS
Here is a picture of me feeling very sad as we only had a few days left in Grenada. We had caught the local bus up to the north of the island to Sauteurs and had lunch overlooking this beautiful bay. I want to go back there one day, so please keep your fingers crossed for me. I just have to remember to take my time and not rush or expect things to happen quickly, otherwise I will only get disappointed.
GUYANA - GEORGETOWN
This place rocks! I have never had so much money to stuff in my money box. I thought I was a rich TED. However, I found out later when I went to buy something at the Boxing Day sales in Sydney, that this loot doesn't amount to a hill of beans. It was quite embarrassing as even the bus driver kicked me off his bus 'cause I didn't have enough for my fare...
GUYANA - GEORGETOWN
This place rocks! I have never had so much money to stuff in my money box. I thought I was a rich TED. However, I found out later when I went to buy something at the Boxing Day sales in Sydney, that this loot doesn't amount to a hill of beans. It was quite embarrassing as even the bus driver kicked me off his bus 'cause I didn't have enough for my fare...
Maybe I should have spent it when I was in Georgetown and had my fur clipped at the local barber shop. He only charged 2,000 Guyanese dollars, which worked out to be pretty cheap!
FRENCH GUYANE - DEVIL'S ISLAND
This is a rather fuzzy photo of me 'cause I want you to focus on the island in the background and see if you can see Dustin Hoffman trying to escape... If you read Papillon, you will know what I mean.
BRAZIL - THE AMAZON - MACAPA TO MANAUS VIA SANTAREM
The BIG PEOPLE had such a good time in the jungle in Ecuador, they decided to catch a boat up the Amazon. It was full of hammocks where everyone slept, like in a backpackers' dormitory. I have never heard so many people snoring at once, but they looked very happy in their colourful beds.
BRAZIL - THE AMAZON
I have decided that is the way to go. So, from now on, I just string up my own hammock wherever I am. You can see in this photo I was having the best chill-out time.
When I wasn't chilling out on my hammock, I spent a lot of time just looking out from the front of the boat to make sure the captain didn't run into any dolphins, or kids in canoes. He was pretty good, except when he ran onto a sand bank and we were stuck for 14 hours!
In this photo I was pretty bored as it had been a while since we had moved. I kept thinking to myself that we were going up the mighty Amazon, but we weren't progressing very far at this stage. However, it wasn't all a disaster as I made friends with all the cool dudes on board. Some of them wore their pants real low and I reckon it was 'cause it was so hot and they wanted to get a bit of cool air on their bottoms. I don't wear pants, so I am only guessing...
BRAZIL - BELEM
In Belem we went to Mangal das Garcas which is the most amazing park where many Amazonian birds hang out. There were lots of Flaming Ibis. They were so bright I got a headache looking at them.
BRAZIL - PARNAIBA DELTA
Then we went up river and I found all their cousins living on this island. There were hundreds of them and boy did I get another headache seeing so many at once. They were really beautiful and I wanted to paint my fur red and hang out in the trees with them.
FRENCH GUYANE
Here's a picture of one I saw in French Guyane. It was walking along a creek looking for food. We were waiting for a mini-van to go somewhere and I tried to stuff it in MUM's bag, but she got wind of it and gave me another clip around the ears. No wonder my fur is falling out.
BRAZIL - CAMOCIM
Here I am having had lunch on a plastic table and chairs in the middle of the water. The BIG PEOPLE had stuffed themselves with prawns and beer and then lay in hammocks with their bottoms in the sea. I was happy to keep my paws dry, but I managed to dip a few prawns in honey, so I was pretty happy.
BRAZIL - CAMOCIM TO JERICOACOARA
Everyone in Brazil has a tattoo. This lady looked like the Botanical Gardens and was very happy to let me take a photo of her. I tried to have a small iguana tattooed on my butt, but the needle kept sinking into my fur, so I gave up.
The BIG PEOPLE decided to go troppo and make their way further down the Brazilian coast. They had heard about a place called Jericoacoara and we hired a Land Rover to get there. I think they were on a suicide mission and as you can see in this photo, the trip included bouncing along a raft in a raging torrent. I threw up a couple of prawn heads over the back seat and was sitting there white with fear. By the way, that is not MUM in the shorts on the raft. She is on the one with me. We were a bit more stabilised 'cause we made her sit in the middle.
BRAZIL - JERICOACOARA
It turned out to be a pretty cool place, so thanks to the Colombian hippy on the trip down the Amazon who told us about it. There were massive sand dunes everywhere, but I thought the best sight was this donkey on the beach. It made funny noises and tried to nibble my ears.
BRAZIL - PIPA
When it was MUM's birthday, we stayed for a few days at this beautiful place where you could swim with dolphins and sit on the beach and just get served rum cocktails and empenadas until the tide came in and you had to vacate your deckchair. Then you just walked a few metres to this great bar and carried on. It was particularly lovely at sunset.
Here's a picture of Mum and DAD doing nothing. This is a while before the tide came in. In fact, the bar attendant offered to carry them 'cause they were a bit wobbly after a few rum cocktails, but they managed to flop over to the bar without incident. I got used to disowning them and made friends with the locals.
This was one of them...
I really loved Pipa and hope to go back there one day. I had a great time chilling, as you can see in this next picture.
I really loved Pipa and hope to go back there one day. I had a great time chilling, as you can see in this next picture.
BRAZIL - SALVADOR DE BAHIA
These two ladies (Betsie and Beatrix) became my best friends when we were in Salvador. They used to call out to me in the street and made me hang out with them, so when tourists came up to give me a cuddle, they would make them take a photo of us all together. Then they would haggle for money and we would share the takings at the end of the day. I used to hide under their skirts when I saw MUM coming. Luckily she would ignore them 'cause they hit on her for mega rials when she had her photo taken with them. In South America you have to be inventive to make a living. I think MUM was just jealous 'cause they had the gift of the gab and knew how to exploit me without having any conscience. I was cool about that 'cause I don't mind making a few bob now and again.
Salvador is such a cool place. There is music on every street corner and even the buses have big smiling faces on them. I would like to go back there again when I am older and visit Betsie and Beatrix 'cause they were so nice and friendly and had lovely warm smiles just like the buses.
BRAZIL - RIO DE JANEIRO
Wherever you go in Rio, you feel as if you are floating on air. It may be 'cause the pavements are all swirly and make you think you should not have had that extra sip of a caipirinha.
BRAZIL - RIO - IPANEMA
My favourite spot was Ipanema beach. The pavements were swirling, the people were swirling and it was just beautiful!
After a few coconuts, I was swirling as well. It was hot and the rum drops in the juice made me feel pretty relaxed, as you can see in this photo.
When my coconut rolled off the table, this pidgeon got stuck into the rest of my drink. He was swirling around when he finished as well.
On Ipanema beach, men walked around with their pants lowered 'cause they were trying to cool their bottoms. At least that's what I thought.
Even the ladies were trying to cool their bottoms and wore their pants low...
I rest my case!
We went to visit the Carmen Miranda Museum. It was full of her dresses, shoes and movie clips. She was so beautiful and wore the same colour lipstick as my nose. I could not stop singing, 'I, I, I, I Love you veeeeery much...' for days afterwards.
We went to visit the Carmen Miranda Museum. It was full of her dresses, shoes and movie clips. She was so beautiful and wore the same colour lipstick as my nose. I could not stop singing, 'I, I, I, I Love you veeeeery much...' for days afterwards.
BRAZIL - RIO - SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN
We caught the cable car up to Sugarloaf Mountain. I was scared as a cat 'cause it is very high up there and you can see all around Rio. If you look closely, you can see me waving to the camera. MUM was on the first peak as she was too nervous to go up to the top. Don't tell her I said that. PLEASE!
I made friends with this weird creature when we were having lunch at the cafe on Sugarloaf. It had big round eyes and kept trying to pinch my jar of honey. In the end I gave it a lick or two and it went away happy.
BRAZIL - RIO - ZONA NORTE
I found a girlfriend for my half-brother Beans, at the Sao Christovao Pavillion. She was standing outside a restaurant with her sisters and didn't say much, even though she had big lips. I showed Beans this photo and he didn't say much either.
BRAZIL - RIO - CORCOVADO
Here's a picture of me whizzing up Corcovado to see Christ the Redeemer. There were lots of tourists on the train and they waved and cheered as people went past the other way. It was a really festive atmosphere.
Here I am on the escalator going up the last bit. As you can see I have a look of anticipation on my face. I was as excited as the mob.
MUM always taught me never to expect and then you won't get disappointed. Well, it's a good thing to. When we arrived at the top of the mountain, it was so misty, Christ was not to be seen. We waited and waited. All of a sudden the mist lifted and everyone clapped and cheered. I got such a fright when I saw how high up we on a flimsy overhanging terrace that was chokka-block full of tourists. I yelled out, 'we're all going to die!' The funny thing is, we got down that mountain a lot faster than we went up it.
BRAZIL - RIO - BOTAFOGO
DAD turned 60 when we were in Rio. Unkee Trevor flew over from Sydney and we went to a local restaurant called the Coathanger to celebrate. The BIG PEOPLE had to get a taxi home afterwards 'cause they had eaten too much. The restaurant was only at the end of the street!
As you can see in this picture, the plates stretched over the whole table. MUM was very quiet that night 'cause she was on her best behaviour. The truth is, she was not allowed to speak with her mouth full. Go figure...
BRAZIL - RIO - COPACOBANA
On our last Sunday in Rio, we walked along Copacobana beach. These amazing figures were sculpted in the sand. I wondered if they were done by Botero, but decided that he would think they were too thin.
We came across the Gay Pride march. There were so many beautiful men with no shirts on. I felt really nerdy, 'cause I have no muscles and too much body fur and no suntan.
I made friends with this lady who happened to be called Juanita as well. She was wearing lots of white make-up and had tattoos on her shoulders and kept calling me 'linda' and giving me cuddles, just like Juanita in Santiago. Spooky!
When we returned to Sydney, I watched Michael Palin's documentary on Brazil. He went to Gay Pride and I wondered if this was him on a float, in disguise. What do you think?
We had such a fantastic day and I now send emails to all my friends in Brazil who are coming over for Mardi Gras next year. The girls are all called Juanita and the funny thing is, this young man also answers to that name as well.
We had such a fantastic day and I now send emails to all my friends in Brazil who are coming over for Mardi Gras next year. The girls are all called Juanita and the funny thing is, this young man also answers to that name as well.
BRAZIL - CURITIBA
Here is a picture of Oscar Niemeyer. He was one of Brazil's most famous architects and he was alive when we went to visit his museum, but sadly he died just a couple of weeks ago at the grand old age of 104. He designed some amazing buildings and this is just one of them. The Oscar Niemeyer Museum, in Curitiba. We spent hours looking around the eye, it was really fantastic.
BRAZIL - MORRETES
The BIG PEOPLE decided to go on a day trip to a lovely town called Morretes. It was the most beautiful journey through the mountains, but at times the railway lines were a bit close to the edge, as you can see in this poster advertising the journey.
In this photo, I am looking back into the train as I was a bit scared of the view. We were up really high. MUM held me out the window to get a better picture. She can be so mean sometimes.
The best bit was when we went through the tunnels as it was dark and I could not see how near we were to the edge. As you can see in this picture, I was white with fear - again...
BRAZIL - FOZ DO IGUACU
After another long bus journey, we arrived at Foz do Iguacu. It was a very wet day, so DAD made me my very own raincoat out of a shower cap. We had the best day wandering around. I even went out on the walkway in the middle of the Falls and got very damp, but it was worth it, especially as my nose did not run.
BRAZIL - FOZ DO IGUACU
After another long bus journey, we arrived at Foz do Iguacu. It was a very wet day, so DAD made me my very own raincoat out of a shower cap. We had the best day wandering around. I even went out on the walkway in the middle of the Falls and got very damp, but it was worth it, especially as my nose did not run.
ARGENTINA - IGUAZU FALLS
The next day we caught a cab across the border to the Iguazu Falls on the Argentinian side. This bear was in the cab and it turns out he was given to the cabbie by a tourist. He was so sweet, but I couldn't understand a word he was saying 'cause he spoke only Spanish. However, I think he may have been asking me if he could come with us 'cause even though he had a grin on his face, his glass eyes were a bit moist.
I think I am hardly done by sometimes, but not compared to this poor little cub. He spends most of his time sitting on top of a rear vision mirror. I hope someday he meets someone who takes him off to some exotic place and he gets his own room, just like me with my family in the cupboard.
I just loved the Falls. As you can see in this picture, I spent a lot of time looking at them and trying to count the drops. I kept whistling, 'raindrops keep falling on my head...' I was so happy.
I made friends with lots of butterflies. There were dozens of them fluttering about with amazing patterns and colours on their wings. If you look closely at this picture, you can see one by my paw. There were also many bugs and as you can see, one of them got a wee bit too close for my liking. MUM said she likes this photo as I look like Hannibal Lecter. Not sure who he is, but I reckon he must be weird.
ARGENTINA - BUENOS AirES
I wanted to stay at this hotel, but MUM told me it was too expensive and they didn't like guests to stay long. I got really confused about that explanation, but thought better of asking why?
How cool is the name of this shop? I wondered if the guy buying the bus ticket in Guayaquil, in Ecuador, had bought his jacket from here.
Here's a picture of me chatting to an angel at the Cemetery of the Recoleta, in Buenos Aires. It is an amazing place, full of mausoleums built in different architectural styles. it is often referred to as a miniature city and many famous people are buried there.
One of the most famous being Evita Peron. Here she is singing, 'don't cry for me Argentina...' Well, 'she' is really a dummy and she wasn't singing, I was... until the museum attendant told me to be quiet, or she would give me a clip around the ears. At least I think that is what she said. As you know, I don't speak Spanish.
Every Thursday at 3.30pm, the Mothers and Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo march anti-clockwise round the central monument of the Plaza, in remembrance of their children who disappeared during the 'dirty' war of the 1970s. The women are very old now and they carry faded photos of their children who were very young. It reminded me of the Human Rights Museum in Santiago and I got really upset 'cause I couldn't understand why BIG PEOPLE can be so cruel. Well, sometimes I understand 'cause my MUM can be... I think I will finish now.
Here's a picture of me with Carlos Gardel who was the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He made hundreds of 3 minute tango recordings. He lived with his MUM, just like me. I LOVE tango and tried to do it, but 'cause my legs are stuffed with cotton wool, I just fell over. I always made sure it was in the arms of the best looking signorina on the dance floor...
URUGUAY - MONTEVIDEO
When we were in Buenos Aires, the BIG PEOPLE decided to catch the ferry across to Montevideo. I spent a couple of days being dragged around museums. I felt like the woman in this picture at the Gaucho Museum. Maybe her husband was dragging her off to museums as well.
ARGENTINA - MENDOZA
We caught another bus to Mendoza, which is at the foot of the Andes. MUM liked it there 'cause there were lot of shoe shops and lots of good wine. We went to the zoo (to see a puma) and at the entrance was this parrot who was so friendly. He kept talking to me and I think he thought I was stupid 'cause I didn't respond. MUM had warned me that the zoo keepers would lock me up in a cage if they could hear me and I would become a special attraction, like pandas at a zoo. After all, a talking bear is not that common. I squealed with delight when I saw this puma and to be honest, I wouldn't have minded being locked up with him in a cage. No more museums, no more clips behind the ears, etc...
THE ANDES
We finally hopped on our last bus over the Andes to Santiago, back to Chile. I was really excited as MUM told me it is the same bus the Queen used when she went on her trips over the mountains. If you look closely, you can see her crown on the front of the bus.
Here I am looking out the bus window. It was a beautiful day and I was making sure there was no ice on the road, so we wouldn't skid and go over a precipice. The driver was a bit of a dare-devil 'cause he kept doing drag races around the bends with this truck in front. I got scared a few times and sicked up honey balls in the seat pocket. It served him right and I hope he got sticky fingers when he went to check to see if there was anything left behind on the bus.
THE END
Well, 'that's all folks,' as Porky Pig used to say. I had a smashing time and I hope you did too reading about my adventures. I left out some stuff 'cause I didn't want you to get too bored. No-one likes to be bombarded with too many holiday snaps. I took over 3,000 pictures, but some are blurred 'cause my paws slipped on the button and well sometimes I was a bit the worse for wear. I feel exhausted now and after this cup of mate tea and a long bath, I am going to go into hibernation in the cupboard. As you can see in this next picture, I am one happy bear. Home and safe...